Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Founded 2009 by Nailing Hollywood nail artist Debbie Leavitt, Sheswai (pronounced SHE-sway, or thereabouts) Lacquer is a new-to-me boutique brand featuring a minimalist range of 3-free (sans formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate) polishes in rich and timeless colors packaged in beautiful elliptically-shaped, eco-friendly bottles with unique caps crafted from sustainably-harvested wood. Stoked was released as a spring/summer 2012 shade. This is a medium-light dusky turquoise creme leaning to verdigris with a muted tone that gives it a serene, demure presence on the nail. It's a soft, pretty summer shade that's a nice change of pace from the brights that are so prevalent during the warmer months.

Application was lovely. The consistency of Stoked is fluid, smooth and ultra creamy with a silky, even slip over the nail and very good self-leveling properties. It's got one of those great formulas that seems to want nothing more than to glide onto your nails with an absolute minimum of fuss, and is easily manipulated with Sheswai's round flexible bush. The wooden cap is very light with an especially nice feel in the hand. Pigmentation is very good, with a degree of translucence to the first coat that builds easily to wearable opacity after the second. I used three coats for maximum ridge coverage, but those with smooth nail beds will be quite happy with two. Cleanup is a snap. Stoked dries naturally in good time to a wonderful glossy finish.Photos show three coats of Stoked over treatment and basecoat with a topcoat of Seche Vite.

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked, macro shot of logo detail -- so pretty!

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Sheswai Lacquer Stoked

Although the brand has been on my radar for a while (those sweet wooden caps make an enduring impression!), the opportunity to try a Sheswai polish didn't present itself until I came across Stoked up for auction on ebay a month or so ago. I bid the minimum, which was less than half of the retail price, and was lucky enough to win. The breath of grey in this delicate blue-green shade puts me in mind of Essie Parka Perfect. They share a similar gentle softness in presence on the nail even though the colors are quite different.

The target demographic for this brand is probably similar to that of Priti NYC. They are about the same price and share a luxe, "you deserve this" sort of vibe. Sheswai's line is much more limited, with only twelve shades currently available on its website, but its modern, eco-friendly stance, the excellent formula (hopefully representative) and unique packaging with its beautiful logo strike me as eminently suitable for gifting to the special polish enthusiast(s) in your life.